Routine
by Jaslazul
Summary: Early one morning, Krystal reflects on her marriage.  When you've been married for years, what happens to the passion and romance?  FoxTal, limeish.


This might seem familiar to some people, as I originally posted it to a different account (Blanc Renard) as an experiment to see how my name would affect a story's reception (or lack thereof).

**Though I rated this fic T, the actual rating is more close to M,** for lots of nudity and sex-talk.

* * *

Donning the diamond ring had become part of Krystal's morning routine to the point that she barely thought of it anymore, except for when she was slipping it on or off. Now she sat on the edge of the hotel-bed, sliding it on as a still-nude Fox, back to her, searched for a shirt in his suitcase on the other side of the room.

"How was last night?" he asked. She couldn't see his muzzle, so she made eye contact with his rear instead. His fur was still slightly damp from his shower; he never dried as well as he should.

"Very nice."

"Yeah..." A shirt went on, the gray tee with the Star Fox logo plastered on the front. "Wish we could do it more often."

"It's alright, Fox." She fingered the ring, wondering if she should dress. "I can understand."

Now he faced her. He slipped on a pair of briefs, concealing the patch of white between his legs. "Maybe we'll have some free time later today, after the meeting. We could go out for a bit, just the two of us."

She smiled. "That would be nice."

"Mmhm." He slipped on his pants and vanished into the bathroom, leaving her with nothing but a tantalizing masculine scent.

Krystal sighed. She dislike being nude, but she had no cause to rush; whereas Fox had the meeting, she had nowhere to be until much later in the day. So it was that for a while, she simply relaxed, wearing nothing but the ring. Since the daily congratulations over the jewelry had ceased, it was easy to forget the light weight on her finger, except in times like these. And from time to time, she couldn't help thinking back to how this had all started.

Their silly flirtations had led to a few dates, but for the most part, they simply remained close friends with small benefits, such as the occasional kiss. She hadn't been expecting Fox to propose to her, but she'd been delighted when it happened a few months after the Aparoids. He'd taken her to all the most astounding sights of the universe: the Crab Nebula, the Eye of God, and the Pillars of Creation. It was in front of the Eagle that he proposed, on his knees, not quite pleading, but definitely sincere... it was everything a Cornerian girl would ever dream of.

They didn't make love until a month or so after. It had happened unplanned in the Arwing, of all places. They were nervous and shaky enough to tear the first condom. She'd bled, and it'd shattered his confidence, as he'd never dealt with such before. And when it was over, Krystal had never climaxed... but it had still been immensely satisfying. She'd felt like a typical Cornerian cub experimenting with her boyfriend; though it was scary at first, it brought back youth and passion she'd long since forgotten.

The experimentation fell into routine. Fox was no longer a new frontier, but a part of her everyday life, now a warm body that she pressed against every night. And the passion was still there, sporadically flaring up between them whenever the occasion arose. Lately, the flare-ups were coming fewer and more spaced-out, but Krystal could understand, with all the stress and duties imposed on Fox. The poor thing was sometimes asleep as soon as he hit the bed.

The door to the bathroom opened. Krystal blushed: she was still nude. Fox came out, looking every bit the handsome fox she'd fallen in love with. He carried himself with confidence, and his shirt was the perfect size to show off just how fit he was. And when he saw her, his muzzle lit up. "You trying to make me late?"

She couldn't help giggling, and she was comfortable enough around him that she didn't feel obliged to cover herself. "Is it working?"

He responded by kissing her. The kiss was fairly short and light, in contrast to the ones last night. But it felt good, and the only annoyance was that his natural scent had been replaced with a musky cologne.

"I'll see you this afternoon," he said when it was over.

"Okay." She didn't want to say _I love you_, because she was always afraid of wearing it out. Instead, she extended her mind out to touch his, and send a wave of feeling over to him. He grinned, and she felt his mind briefly lean on hers.

When he was gone, leaving behind nothing but the mixture of false and real scents, she decided it was time to dress. As she pulled on the clothes, she couldn't help thinking that, though she almost always wanted more with Fox, she should be extremely grateful for what she already had. It was more than just a routine.


End file.
